There are a variety of areas in which a need exists for a system capable of identifying and/or tracking the geographic location of portable objects. For example, information technology (IT) assets, such as laptop computers, desktop computers, servers, and the like, are often highly mobile capital items, and often can contain sensitive proprietary data. Consequently, due to the costs and the data contained therein, it is often critical to keep track of the location of such IT assets.
RFID technology, employing RFID tags, are often used to track the location of mobile assets, such as IT assets. RFID tag technologies fall into two general types, namely passive tags (i.e., no internal power source) and active tags (i.e., power supply integrated with the tag). Both passive and active RFID tags suffer from shortcomings, some common to both types, and others particular to the type of tag. For example, both tag types have a limited range of transmission (typically only tens of meters). Additionally, removal of the RFID tag from the asset is undetectable without physical validation. In other words, inadvertent or intentional separation or removal of the tag from the asset is an easy way to render the current systems ineffective. Further, in order to work effectively, both tag types require controlled spaces featuring specifically designed items such as door traps, strategically placed sensors, and the like.
While active RFIDs have their own power source, current power sources have limited life spans and the tag requires physical proximity to any reading device. Any “beacon” strength and frequency is limited by the available power; which is, in turn, related to tag size. As such, in order for an active RFID tag to be effective for highly mobile assets potentially moving across large geographic areas (e.g., railroad cars, laptop computers, etc.), the size of the tag, and concomitantly its power source, would need to be inordinately large.
In view of the foregoing, a need exists to overcome one or more of the deficiencies in the related art.